Strip Piecing the Nights Away

The hubs has been traveling a lot lately which means I have had quite a bit of late evening sewing time after the littles are off to bed.



When the Mr. is in town, I have a hard time keeping my eyes open past 8:30 or 9, but when he is gone, I have to MAKE myself go up to bed at midnight or later! That quiet "me time" is oh so valuable when it's just mom holding down the fort!

A few weeks ago a stumbled upon some precuts of PB&J by Basic Grey for Moda at my LQS, Material Girl. (you can also find it here)

Photo Credit

I pickup up two charm packs and a layer cake, with really no idea what I was going to do with them!
I started poking around blogland trying to find a precut friendly pattern that I liked, and the instant I saw Angela of Fussy Cut's Starry Eyed tutorial on the Moda Bake Shop, I knew this was the one!!

Photo Credit

Just look at those blocks stark with contrast! The primary colors of PB&J and the pairing of modern geometric prints with softer florals was the perfect fit.

As Angela mentions in the tutorial, there is A LOT of strip piecing...like...holy moly. BUT, that's what is lending this top such an ease of assembly! It's flying together now that all these pretty little strips of color are all ready to go!

And, lets be honest. There is a part of me (the type A OCD 'ish' part) that really kind of loves the accurate cutting and methodical strip piecing of quilting!)

Here are the first four blocks taking up my pathetic modest sized design wall! LOVE LOVE LOVE!

I love how the contrast really makes those prints POP!

I grabbed a few extra fat quarters for adding a little piecing to the back with my scraps and possibly even for a pillow or two to match. I am a sucker for things that match. Maybe it stems from my mom dressing all three of us (my older brothers and I) in matching outfits for most everything growing up. Truly, I have to resist the same urge with my three littles.

Okay, maybe I don't always resist...

Instagram doesn't lie :) Hey, if you are on IG, come find me here and follow along!

I chose this lovely floral for the backing and who can resist and stripy/chevrony/herringbony binding? Yes, I totally made those words up and I'm sticking to it.

I also couldn't resist picking up this awesome newsprint fabric from my LQS as well. I have no idea what it will be used in, but the possibilities are limitless!

With 20 blocks total in this quilt, I could really use a bigger design wall...basement floor it is!

In other news, I recently finished this sweet churn dash top for a baby boy quilt.

The pattern is from Camille Roskelley's book Simply Retro. I love this book...I mean lurve it...

This pattern is called Baby Love and comes with two different variations. I chose to make mine in navy, red and black on gray. The fabrics for this quilt were from my stash.

Most prints are geometrics, except for those sweet little elephants! It adds just a touch of whimsy to this otherwise masculine baby quilt. Once I get it quilted up, I'll post completed proper pics!

 On deck is a Christmas Quilt! I've always wanted to make one, and I stumbled upon this custom roll at Material Girl and had to have it.

I love the bright reds and greens with the black and white (so apparently I'm on a high contrast kick!). The strips are 3.5' so slightly wider than a traditional jelly roll. I'm not sure on a pattern yet. Anyone have any good strip quilts or jelly roll patterns they love? Please share in the comments below if you do!

What works in progress are you working on? I would love to hear/see!

Have a great Halloween tomorrow, and I can't wait to show you my little crew's costumes!


God Bless,



I'm linking up today at WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced :)

Mogul Mom? Momtrepreneur? Moron?

I have always loved crafts (and for those of you who know me well, this is the understatement of the century). A self proclaimed hobby-a-holic, I have always needed something to put my creative energies toward and making things with my hands has always been an outlet for me.

My basement is a rather embarrassing shrine to this habit. Clear storage bins and sliding drawers are stacked to the ceiling in the scrapbooking corner packed full of a rainbow of papers, stickers, rub-ons, stamps, embelishments, tools, punches, and more. There’s the sewing station with spools and bobbins galore, with each shade reminding me of projects past. A side of the road find bakers rack is loaded with baskets of the softest, most touchable yarns, remnants of precious projects that have graced my babies heads, feet and wrapped them in warmth as they were brand new. A storage shelf holds fabrics, pattern books, cross stich projects and floss/thread, my kids’s art supplies (googly eyes, pipe cleaners, finger paints, water colors, contruction paper and more) and some of my favorites: bins of keepsakes from when I was younger: writings, clay figurines, old programs from plays and concerts, and more (scattered in with the occasional 10 lb nursing school text book!). Then there is the banquet length craft table, inevitably strewn with the paraphernalia of whatever creation is attempting to take form.

It is merely a flight of stairs down into this organized yet somehow haphazard space, yet I feel a world away when I am down in my haven of textures and mediums just begging to be combined into something new and fabulous.

Up until about a month ago, everything I have made has always been for myself, my children, or as a gift for someone close to me. After multiple “little birdies” chirped in my ear (you know who you are!) that I really should sell what I am making, I decided to jump in with both (well, one and a half) feet.

I first heard about Etsy from my sister-in-law. What a treasury of unique, handmade and vintage gems. The concept is rather wonderful. I have been able to open a “shop” selling my handmade articles that lets me market and sell my creations to the greater population, have control over how much I make and sell, yet still have relatively little commitment if things should not go well or I get burned out. Sounded good enough for me.

Thus Rosewill Arts was born inspired from my kids’ middle names as they inspire me to be a better woman, wife, and mother every day.

So here’s to becoming a momtrepreneur, for now. We’ll see where this takes me, and for the time being, I’m along for the ride!